The "Freeola Customer Forum" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
I was reading the Online section of the Guardian this morning and was shocked at one of the reader's letters. This reader was sent 3 text messages from Vizzavi and had promptly deleted them as he had not asked to be sent them. However, when he recieved his bill there were three seperate charges for the text messages of between 30 and 52p each.
On contacting his supplier, Vodafone, he was told that they couldn't block the messages even though Vizzavi is a joint Vodafone/Vivendi company.
I was quite disgusted to see this as this person had not asked for these expensive text but was being sent them anyway. This strikes me as being much worse than email spam as it actually costs you money. If you recieve normal spam then you simply press delete and it is gone. Here, you delete it and are then billed for the priviledge of having this service.
Talk21 recently let me know by email that to keep my SMS alerts which inform me of new mail would cost 20p per alert. I have had this service for 2 and 1/2 years nearly and suddenly I am informed that unless I log on and turn it off I will be billed 20p everytime I get an email. I suppose then, should you keep it on, the number of service announcements from Talk21 will go up so that your alerts go up and you are billed extra.
Of course, this system is fully open to abuse. Suppose a rogue company acquires your mobile number and then bills you for text messages you didn't even ask for? This would be far more annoying that email spam. I for one will never be putting my mobile number down on another form no matter what it is for.
On contacting his supplier, Vodafone, he was told that they couldn't block the messages even though Vizzavi is a joint Vodafone/Vivendi company.
I was quite disgusted to see this as this person had not asked for these expensive text but was being sent them anyway. This strikes me as being much worse than email spam as it actually costs you money. If you recieve normal spam then you simply press delete and it is gone. Here, you delete it and are then billed for the priviledge of having this service.
Talk21 recently let me know by email that to keep my SMS alerts which inform me of new mail would cost 20p per alert. I have had this service for 2 and 1/2 years nearly and suddenly I am informed that unless I log on and turn it off I will be billed 20p everytime I get an email. I suppose then, should you keep it on, the number of service announcements from Talk21 will go up so that your alerts go up and you are billed extra.
Of course, this system is fully open to abuse. Suppose a rogue company acquires your mobile number and then bills you for text messages you didn't even ask for? This would be far more annoying that email spam. I for one will never be putting my mobile number down on another form no matter what it is for.
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
I was reading the Online section of the Guardian this morning and was shocked at one of the reader's letters. This reader was sent 3 text messages from Vizzavi and had promptly deleted them as he had not asked to be sent them. However, when he recieved his bill there were three seperate charges for the text messages of between 30 and 52p each.
On contacting his supplier, Vodafone, he was told that they couldn't block the messages even though Vizzavi is a joint Vodafone/Vivendi company.
I was quite disgusted to see this as this person had not asked for these expensive text but was being sent them anyway. This strikes me as being much worse than email spam as it actually costs you money. If you recieve normal spam then you simply press delete and it is gone. Here, you delete it and are then billed for the priviledge of having this service.
Talk21 recently let me know by email that to keep my SMS alerts which inform me of new mail would cost 20p per alert. I have had this service for 2 and 1/2 years nearly and suddenly I am informed that unless I log on and turn it off I will be billed 20p everytime I get an email. I suppose then, should you keep it on, the number of service announcements from Talk21 will go up so that your alerts go up and you are billed extra.
Of course, this system is fully open to abuse. Suppose a rogue company acquires your mobile number and then bills you for text messages you didn't even ask for? This would be far more annoying that email spam. I for one will never be putting my mobile number down on another form no matter what it is for.
On contacting his supplier, Vodafone, he was told that they couldn't block the messages even though Vizzavi is a joint Vodafone/Vivendi company.
I was quite disgusted to see this as this person had not asked for these expensive text but was being sent them anyway. This strikes me as being much worse than email spam as it actually costs you money. If you recieve normal spam then you simply press delete and it is gone. Here, you delete it and are then billed for the priviledge of having this service.
Talk21 recently let me know by email that to keep my SMS alerts which inform me of new mail would cost 20p per alert. I have had this service for 2 and 1/2 years nearly and suddenly I am informed that unless I log on and turn it off I will be billed 20p everytime I get an email. I suppose then, should you keep it on, the number of service announcements from Talk21 will go up so that your alerts go up and you are billed extra.
Of course, this system is fully open to abuse. Suppose a rogue company acquires your mobile number and then bills you for text messages you didn't even ask for? This would be far more annoying that email spam. I for one will never be putting my mobile number down on another form no matter what it is for.